Your Guardian Angel
by burnthrough
Summary: A Valentine's Day story, inspired by Your Guardian Angel sung by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. Gwen's always had trouble in the boys department, but when she finally chooses to give up on guys, Trent walks into her life. And he's not like all the others.
1. Chapter 1

**New story! It's better than my old story **_**Teal Mystery**_**, which is to be deleted. Thanks to those of you who read it and reviewed it! I love you all, so much. Even if you flame me, I appreciate you for reading. I hope you all enjoy! **

**-**

_Saturday, February 6__th__, 2010_

I sighed and slid to the floor. This was getting me nowhere. Dating just wasn't my thing. But I knew it had to be in my blood. Just look at my Mom, Anna Carter.

She's been married 4 times and on Valentine's Day, she's getting married to her fifth. But despite marrying only four times, she's had hundreds of boyfriends, starting from the seventh grade.

Maybe it was because she still looked young. She was slim, always wore pink skirts and matching tops. Heels and all, the type of stuff I hate. My Mom was in her early-thirties, having had me when she was only 16. Which is my age now.

She always smiles and turns to me. "It's gonna be your year, babe." I hated when she said that, especially when she said it in front of my boyfriend, now ex, Jake.

I've only had three boyfriends in my life, not counting the time I said I was dating Aaron Cruz in kindergarten. In all honesty, it was just pointless, me dating. I always get cheated on, always with people who I thought were my friends.

Getting up from the floor and looking out the door's peephole, I saw Jake standing in the driveway, on the phone. Probably talking to my ex-best friend, Lindsay Garcia. She was clueless, but she knew that Jake was my boyfriend, and she had made out with him in front of me.

I growled and threw open the door. "GET OUT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD, DICKWAD!"

Jake looked up, shocked before running off. He'd seen me fight a guy before, in this case Rudy Allenger, and knew I could mess him up. I smirked as he fleed and closed the door again.

My phone rang, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus's _You Better Pray_ filling the house. I dug through my purse that sat on the kitchen counter and found my phone.

"It's Gwen. What the hell do you want?" I asked, sitting on one of my Mom's black stools.

"Hey Gwen! It's me, Erik, I just called to check up on your Mom. She isn't answering her phone and I wanted to know if she already bought her and her bridesmaid's dresses." Erik was my Mom's fiance and currently the only one I got along with.

"She did. Blue for them, white for her." I said, flatly.

"Cool. How 'bout you?"

"What about me?"

"You were gonna be the music, remember? What are we going to see your band in?"

"Oh, yeah. We're all gonna be in different colors but I'm gonna wear purple or something like that."

"What do you mean, 'something like that.' Didn't you get your dress?" Erik laughed, confused.

"I did, I just didn't check it. It's in my Mom's room."

"Alright, that's cool. Just tell your Mom to call me later. See you later, Gwen."

"Whatever." I hung up.

Getting up and walking upstairs, I dialed Bridgette's number. She was the best, the type of person that would never betray you.

"Hey, it's Bridge!" She answered in her usual, perky tone.

I rolled my eyes, knowing that she was probably smiling, sitting in her big, neat room with the beach and the water being her wallpaper.

"Hey. I broke up with Jake, thinking we should go hang out at Al's." I told her.

"Oh, that's too bad. I liked Jake. Who'd he cheat with?"

"Lindsay Garcia."

"No way! I thought she was your friend!" Bridgette gasped.

"I thought so, too. So you on for Al's or what?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Totally. I'll call Court, you call Shawny." She replied, hanging up.

I sighed and texted her instead.

_Hey, we're goin' to Al's wanna come with?_

A minute later, she replied.

_Sure thing, baby girl. Did something' happen? _

_Yeah, broke up with Jake. Give you the deets later._

_Alright._

I dropped my phone on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, not knowing what to do. There were so many things on my mind right now, but it felt as if seeing Lindsay and Jake kissing explained it all.

My brain hurt, my heart ached, and worse, my Mom had just walked into the room, dressed in a red party dress and black heels.

"Gwen, honey, I'm going to a party with Erik. Your brother's staying over at Davie's, are you okay being alone here?"

I shrugged. "I can manage."

"'Kay. I'll call you later. Love ya!" She kissed my cheek and walked out, her curly hair flying behind her.

_~~Later~~_

"No way!"

"Girl's gonna pay," Leshawna said, narrowing her eyes.

The four of us sat at a booth in Al's Diner, the usual Saturday night hang-out place.

"Seriously, Shawn, it's cool." I said, dipping my fry into my milkshake.

"You sure?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. I nodded. Leshawna calmed down a bit and took a bite of her cheeseburger.

Courtney, who sat across from me, sighed.

"I still can't believe Lindsay. I mean, it's like a rule! You do _not _go out with your friend's boy." She said, throwing her hands up.

"Hey, the girl's a ditz. She knew I was dating him but she probably thought he was someone else." I shrugged.

Bridgette put down her veggie burger and frowned.

"Oh c'mon. She's smarter than we give her credit for."

"So that's means I can beat her up for kissing someone that she _knew was mine?" I asked, crossing my arms and smirking._

"_No! Yes! I don't know! I guess I'm just saying, she's not totally stupid, but she was just confused." _

"_Still not giving her another chance." I said, flatly. _

"_Fine." _

_We all sat in silence for a moment, eating our food but suddenly, a group of four guys walked through the door, laughing._

_I stared at one guy with shaggy black hair before turning to the others._

_Bridgette was watching a blond, stunned._

_Leshawna was silent looking at a burly Jamaican, smiling._

_And Courtney.. Well, she was either smiling or glaring at a punk._

_They stopped laughing and looked in our direction. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the second installment of Your Guardian Angel. I just want to say thank you to CarmillaD for sending me a very kind message ****J I've enabled the anonymous reviews so you can tell me whatever you think. And, so far I think this story will be at least more than ten chapters long, lasting after Valentine's day. That seems satisfactory, right?**

**-**

"Well, gee, this turned out to be an awkward night." I said as we all made our way over to the parking lot.

After those four boys, or what Courtney called, "Neanderthals", entered the diner we remained quiet, eating our food in silence and playing with the straws on our cups if we were already finished.

The four were still in the diner, laughing it up. I don't know what was so funny, but I do know that they are the type of guys that would most likely get drunk on a Saturday night then go to a diner, pick up some chick, and get laid.

Or at least that's what the punk looked like. Some of them looked friendly, namely the boy with black hair and his big Jamaican friend. The blond, however, looked a little bit like a mindless party idiot. How did I get that? His cowboy hat, his thin, pink unbuttoned shirt, his flip-flops, and his jean shorts.

And to think, _that's _the guy Bridgette spent the night looking at. I shivered as a light drizzle began to fall. Leshawna yelped and pulled her orange hoodie closer to her, the hood almost falling off as she ran to her car.

"See y'all later!" She called over her shoulder. I nodded, though she didn't see it, and said goodnight to Bridgette and Courtney. They offered me a ride, but they knew that they were late to get home so I shook my head, no. They left, glancing at me through the car window.

I shrugged and began to walk home. I lived at least 5 miles away from the diner, having been dropped off by Erik and my Mom, and the rain had just started to pound harder.

Sighing, I looked down at my old Converse sneakers. They were basically drenched now. My black hoodie wasn't making my situation any easier, too. It was a bit thin, and stuck to my skin. All I wore underneath was a tank top.

"DAMNIT!" I yelled as a car passed by, driving in a puddle that flew up and soaked me. Then, another car passed, but it swiveled around and stopped in front of me. I stared, confused.

The door opened and out came the Jamaican from the diner. "Hey, wanna catch a ride? My friend noticed you and thought you would appreciate us giving you a lift."

I blinked, shocked at the stranger's kindness and nodded. He stepped forward and grabbed my hand, dragging me to the car. He let go, letting me climb into the green van.

It was warm inside and the other three guys form the diner stared at me. "How far away do you live?" One of them asked.

"About five miles." I said simply, trying not to get my wet clothes to ruin the car seat. "Don't worry about the car, it's Geoff's. He doesn't really care about his car, as long as it's running." The punk boy told me, crossing his arms and looking out the window.

The blond, I'm guessing he's Geoff, glared at him before turning to me. "Whoa bra, you live pretty far. What happened to those three other chicks?" He asked. I mentally scolded myself for thinking he was an idiot.

"One of them ditched when it started raining, the other two were way passed curfew and had to get home." I explained, looking at the boy with black hair. He was staring at me, speechless.

"What?" I asked, annoyed.

"You're shivering."

"No, duh. I walked about four blocks, in the rain." I said, flatly.

"Wow. You can wear my jacket if you want." He offered, taking off his green hoodie. I took it and gave him an apologetic look for being all snappy.

The car started up again and I laid out my wet jacket on my lap. Pulling on the boy's jacket, I suddenly became warm. He smiled and looked over to the boy that helped me get in the car.

I grinned as Geoff turned on the radio. Minutes later, I found myself in a conversation with the boy who's jacket I now wore.

"So, what's your name?" He asked.

"Gwen. Yours?"

"Trent. You know Geoff, the punk sleeping in the front is Duncan, and that," He pointed to the Jamaican, "is DJ."

"Cool. Interesting bunch, you guys are." I teased.

"Yeah well, so are you and your friends. How long have you guys known each other?"

"Oh I've known Bridgette and Leshawna, the girls that were in bright colors, since about kindergarten. Courtney, the prep, I met just about two years ago." I told him.

"Nice. I've known these guys all since about 5th grade."

I nodded, "It's nice to have friends that you've known for a long time. They know more about you then you do about yourself."

Trent laughed and Duncan woke up, immediately. "What are you two laughing about?" He asked, turning his head.

"Nothing." Trent told him, "Go back to sleep you lazy jackass." Duncan glared at me as I giggled.

"Sorry about him. He's always pretty grumpy." Geoff said from behind the wheel. I nodded and glanced at Duncan. He was still looking at Trent and me.

"Seriously man, we weren't really talking about anything." Duncan rolled his eyes, "Yeah, right." He fell back asleep after that, just as Geoff pulled into my driveway.

"Thanks, guys." I smiled at them to show my appreciation and leaned over Trent to open the door. I threw off his jacket and handed it to him. "Keep it." He said, giving it back. I held it in my hand and grabbed my other jacket, still soaked in rain water.

"Wait, before you go, give us your number." Geoff smiled, "I wanna invite you to one of my parties sometime."

"Umm.. Okay." I replied, grabbing a random pen off of the car floor. I looked around for a piece of paper and found none.

Not thinking, I grabbed Trent's arm, pulled his sleeve up and scribbed down my number. Underneath, I wrote my name. Putting the pen back onto the seat, I smiled at them again.

"Thanks again for the ride, Geoff. Bye!"

I closed the door and walked over to the front door. Geoff's car remained in the driveway until I got into the house. I stood at the window, watching them until they weren't in sight.

That night, I went to bed, thinking of my four new friends.

_Sunday, February 7__th__, 2010_

I woke up to my phone ringing. Last night I had been really lazy and left it in the pocket of my jeans, which lay on the floor.

Groaning, I got up and took the phone out of the jeans. It was a number I didn't know, but I picked it up anyways.

"Hello?"

"Gwen? It's me, Trent. Just wanted to see how your holding up since you were pretty cold last night when we dropped you off at your house."

"Oh hey, Trent. Yeah, I'm doing pretty fine. Just woke up." I spoke the last part in an angry tone.

"Oh, sorry. Well, I'll hang up so you can go back to sleep." He laughed.

"No, no, no, it's okay, I'm just tired."

"Alright.. You sure you don't wanna go back to sleep?"

"Positive."

"Cool. In that case, you wanna meet up with me and the guys later?"

I was about to say yes when I remembered. I had to practice the songs my Mom wanted me to play at her wedding. Damned band practice.

I sighed, "That'd be great but I can't. You see, my Mom's getting married in like, a week and she wants me to practice the music."

"Oh.. OK, it's alright. I'll call you later though, 'kay?" I could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Sure. Bye, Trent."

I hung up and walked downstairs. The first thing I saw was Erik and my Mom making out on the couch. Eww.

"Umm, I know you guys are gonna get married and all but, could you like, not make out in front of me?" I asked, laughing.

My Mom pulled away, her face flushed. "Oh, you're awake."

"Yeah, and you're making out. And clearly enjoying it." I pretended to stick my finger down my throat and gag. Erik rolled his eyes but laughed.

"Anyways, did you finish that list of songs?"

"What songs?" Erik questioned.

"The wedding songs. You did make a list of songs, right?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah. Here!" Mom exclaimed, reaching into her skirt pocket and pulling out a wrinkled piece of paper. She threw it towards me and I caught it.

The list was basically not my style. I read the list through twice, not believing my Mom wanted me to sing songs that did not fit my style.

_You and Me - Lifehouse_

_Bless The Broken Road - Rascall Flatts_

_She's So Lovely - Scouting For Girls_

_Etc._

"Can I at least sing a song of my own?" I said, dropping the list.

"Sure."

_Good._ There was no way I'd spend two-three hours at the wedding singing songs I didn't like.

* * *

**Yes, the song she sings at the wedding is the title song, which is in my opinion the sweetest song, ever.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for not updating yesterday, I got sidetracked with school. I think I update better when I don't have anything to do. This chapter kind of sucks, though. But here, hope you guys like it! Oh, and thanks for the reviews you left last time **** It means a lot.**

**-**

_Monday, February 8__th__, 2010_

I sighed and hopped off the bus, my bandmates, Nate, Alex, and Remy, behind me. They were my other best friends, part of my 'Goth' clique, as Heather Lee called us. There were three more of us, too, but they were suspended for a month. So far, it had only been a week.

Remy frowned as we walked in. "Man, I can't believe they got themselves suspended. Now, this month is totally gonna suck. I mean, none of Pixie's genius pranks, none of Reaper's spy skills, and none of Marilyn's pranking materials." She said, leaning against her locker.

Nate shrugged and opened his locker. "No biggie."

"Oh, and I can't believe how ridiculously long band practice was, yesterday. Gwen, you're mom is insane." Remy exclaimed, throwing her arms up.

I rolled my eyes, "It's two hours worth. Just be glad we aren't performing at the reception." Alex chuckled. "Now that would be ridiculous. The reception lasts from six to midnight."

Remy looked at him, confused. "That's when we eat, right?" He nodded. "Oh. In hat case, rehearsal wasn't _so_ bad."

Nate rolled his eyes and shut his locker. As we made our way to homeroom, Art History, I spotted a familiar pink shirt. I shrugged it off and walked to the back of the room.

The bell rang and the remainder of the class poured into the room. A few seconds later, Miss. Mary Finch walked in. "Mona Lisa?"

"Leonardo da Vinci." We replied, lamely.

"Good. You studied, Lindsay." I growled and looked at the ditz. She beamed and winked at Jake. He caught sight of me and shrank back in his seat.

"Bastard." I grumbled. Alex gave me a concerned look. Nate, who sat behind me, put a hand on my shoulder. I turned around and smiled at him, then Alex.

They looked relieved and nodded, "She's fine," to Remy, who sat on the farther side of the room. I sighed and crossed my arms and legs.

So that's how my day went. Spent class glaring at Lindsay and Jake, spent time with Courtney, Bridgette, Remy, Leshawna, Nate & Alex, and called Trent when I got home. He told me Geoff went to my school and that he saw me walking in the hall.

_Tuesday, February 9__th__, 2010_

My day pretty much went the same. But after school, I got a call from Geoff. "Hey Gwen!" He exclaimed. "Geoff." I said, flatly.

"Gwen, you wanna meet up at Al's. No, wait, I think we're going to _Arcadia_ instead." I thought about it for a moment.

"Sure. Can I bring the girls?" I asked. "Suuuuure, Gwenny." I rolled my eyes but laughed. "Okay, we'll pick you up in 15."

"'Kay."

~~Later~~

"Come on! One more speedy power-up.. C'mon… Faster.. YES!" Geoff yelled, pumping his fist into the air. Courtney, sitting next to me, rolled her eyes.

"Why did I agree to this?"

"Oh, lighten up, Princess." Duncan spoke up, annoyed.

"What did you call me?!"

"Princess."

"Why?" Courtney questioned.

Duncan laughed. "Well, for one, you're stuck up. Two, you're uptight. And thirdly, you're annoying and bratty."

Courtney scoffed and turned away. I looked over at Trent.

"You can already feel the chemistry." I laughed.

He smiled and chuckled.

Bridgette & Leshawna glanced at us and winked.

'_Girl, you got yourself a booooyfriend.' _They mouthed.

Geoff and DJ turned away from the screen and stared at the bunch of us. "What just happened?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Incredibly sorry for not updating, again! I've got a project due next month that I've barely started, I failed a quiz, and I've still got a big bunch of homework. But, since it's a four-day weekend, I decided to spend one-third of the time focusing on my schoolwork, one-third on writing, and one-third on living it up during our "mini-vacation." This chapter pretty much covers everyday from where we last left off, to today. Every time you see a hyphen, it's a new day.**

**-**

_Tuesday, February 9th__, 2010 - Friday, February 12__th__, 2010_

As the six of us left _Arcadia_, I picked up on how the guys were doing. I neglected to mention that they were all one year older and attended my school's rival. Well, all of them, except for Geoff attended the school.

During the 3 hours that we spent in the arcade, I managed to learn more about Trent. Apparently, he plays the guitar, hoping to pursue a career in music. He has a younger brother named Liam, a dog named Sparky, and his dad. His mother left when Trent was in middle school, and on Liam's 14th birthday.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Trent." I said, surprised.

"Hey, don't worry about it. The past is in the past. So.. How 'bout you? You're parents ever fight?"

I nodded, "My Dad left when I was twelve. Mom was a wreck for about a month or two, Then, she moved onto this guy named Victor, then, the manwhore, James, and finally, Erik. She's getting married to him on Sunday."

"Wow. How could you _not_ tell me that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged, "It slipped my mind."

Trent laughed and looked down at his hands. They sat on the table, not so far from my own hands. I felt the urge to grab one of them, which scared me.

_What the hell? Why would I want to hold Trent's hand? I haven't even known him that long, it's only been like, four days._

"You know, Gwen, this is going to sound really weird, but I'm glad I met you. I've never felt this comfortable telling people about myself." He suddenly blurted out, startling me.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Duncan interrupted from the table next to us. "He's telling the truth. It took us 5th-7th grade to learn what he just told you about himself."

Trent glared at Duncan, "Shut up." Duncan threw his hands up in defense and turned away. "Well, excuse me for trying to make a lady feel special."

"Oh, don't worry, Duncan. I feel so great knowing that Trent can tell me about himself in about a day while it takes you guys two years to get him to spill." I rolled my eyes.

Trent chuckled slightly before rising up. "Come on, I think I have my guitar in Geoff's car. I'll play you something." I could feel my cheeks heat up slightly before getting up, too.

"Hey Geoff, can I get the keys?" Trent asked. Geoff nodded, reached into his pocket, and tossed him the car keys. He caught them in one swift movement, and grabbed my hand.

I stared at our hands for awhile, our fingers intertwined, my miniscule hand fitting into his rather larger hand. I smiled as we both walked out the door and descended the stairs. Once we reached the sidewalk, Trent unlocked the car, it was right in front of us, and opened the trunk.

I sat on the bottom step of the stairs and watched him as he grabbed the guitar case, covered with stickers of his favorite bands and singers.

"Alright, here we go." He said, sitting down beside me and lifting the guitar out of it's case. He took a breath before strumming a few chords. After a few seconds, he started to sing along. Trent glanced at me and nodded his head in the direction of the case. I peered in and found a few sheets that I assumed were the lyrics to the song he was singing.

Not knowing if he wanted me to sing along or not, I started singing. Like an idiot. At first, I was off-key before deciding I'd just act like I was the singer of a band, which I was. _No play-singing, Gwen. You like Trent, you want to show him that you can sing, like him._

"_Yeah we gotta start. Lookin' at the hand of time we've been given here. This is all we got and we gotta start pickin' it. Every second counts on a clock that's tickin'. Gotta live like we're dying." _

Trent smiled at me and stopped. "You sing too?" He asked, confused. I shrugged. "Sort of. I'm in a band with some friends. We're performing at my Mom's wedding.. Wanna be my date there?" That took a bit of courage, but Trent grinned at me.

"Sure. I don't know you're mom, but I'd be glad to wish her luck with her marriage."

"Oh, I'm sure she'd appreciate that, Trent." I giggled, leaning against him as I laughed. He allowed it, only pushing me away when I stopped.

"Yeah. Now c'mon, I think I see the gang coming out." Another smile and a hand helping me up.

_-_

"_He's everything you want, he's everything you need. He's everything inside of you that you wish you could be. He says all the right things at exactly the right time but he means nothing to you and you don't know why."_ We were all in my basement, Remy, Alex, Nate & I.

We were practicing a few of the other songs that my Mom and soon to be step-dad had requested. As soon as I finished my line, Nate had cut in, singing his small part.

"_I am everything you want, I am everything you need. I am everything inside of you that you wish you could be. I say all the right things at exactly the right time but I mean nothing to you and I don't know why."_

Nate stopped strumming his guitar, Alex doing the same with his base. Remy dropped her drumsticks and sighed. "Well, that was decent, am I right?" She asked.

"No." I said, flatly. "I mean, it was okay, but we still have plenty more to do."

Nate groaned, "This is killing me. Why couldn't your mom have just rented a band to play?"

"She thought that it ruined the wedding's significance. Now c'mon, Nate, this is your song."

Another groan. Then, he started to sing.

"_Beauty Queen of only eighteen. She had some trouble with herself, he was always there to help her, she always belong to someone else. I drove for miles and miles and wound up at your door. I've had you so many times but somehow, I want more. I don't mind spending every day out on your corner in the pouring rain. Look for the girl with a broken smile. Ask her if she wants to stay awhile, and she will be loved. And she will be loved."_

I sighed and leaned back against the couch we sat on, tired. Nate nudged me, thinking that I signaling that he was a boring singer. I growled at him and crossed my arms, bored. "I wasn't insulting you.." I mumbled, getting up to go to the kitchen. I glanced back at them, only to see Nate's glum face.

_Why's he sad? He's the one that jabbed his rather sharp elbow into my side. _

In the kitchen, the first thing that greeted me was the sound of kissing and my brother, Danny's disgusted groans. He noticed me and said, "You'd think these gross yet 'romantic' make-out sessions would only take place in the movies."

Erik pulled away from my Mom and chuckled. "You'll understand when you get your first girlfriend, Danny."

Danny shrugged, "If there's a girl out there that's a fan of Call of Duty, other than Gwen, maybe, just maybe, I'll fall in love."

I rolled my eyes and messed with his hair. "Oh, trust me, there are plenty of pretty girls that love those games."

"Yeah, just look at you." We all turned and looked at the kitchen doorway. Nate stood, guitar strapped to his back, running a hand through his hair. I frowned at him.

"Look, Gwen, I-I'm sorry I got mad at you. It's just.. I haven't exactly told anyone this, but Kaylie broke up with me. I've kind of been.. Well, depressed."

My expression softened, "And.. Singing _She Will Be Loved _made you feel a bit uncomfortable?" He nodded.

"Oh, sorry, Nathan. Maybe we could have Alex sing the song? He's still with Remy, right?" Mom cut in. I nodded.

"That is, if Alex is comfortable with singing." Nate added, looking behind him. I stood up to stand next to him, just as Alex came into the room screaming, "I HAVE TO SING?!"

"Umm.. Yes?" Danny said, not really understanding what was happening. "Oh no.. Oh no, no, no.."

"It's okay, Alex. You don't have to sing if you don't want to." Erik reassured him. "No, I _want _to sing, I'm just not sure if I'd actually be able to do it. I mean, you all know how nervous I get in front of people."

_~~~FLASHBACK~~~_

_It was the ninth grade talent show, Miriam Allens had just announced us. I stepped out from behind the curtain, along with Nate, Alex, and Remy. _

_Taking my place in between the boys, I waited for Nate to start us off. At the time, we were all really into depressing songs and such so that was the type we were performing. I could see Mom, Danny, and at the time, Daddy 3 in the crowd, front row. In the second row, Courtney, Bridgette, and Leshawna sat, all watching intently._

_I took a breath before starting to sing, "This is as quiet, as it gets. Hush down, now. Go to sleep. We were once perfect, me and you. We'll never leave this room, h-h-hush. You color my eyes red, your love's not live, it's dead. This letter's written itself inside out, again. When rivers turn to roads and lovers turn to trends. H-h-hush, this is where it ends." _

_Bye the time we reached the middle of the song, Alex and Nate were both supposed to join in. Nate did, but Alex was frozen. He snapped out of it, sent us an apologetic look, and continued to play his bass. I gave him a disappointed look and continued to sing. _

_After we finished the song, we bowed and went backstage. "What the hell was that?!" Nate yelled, glaring at Alex. "Hey man, lay off. He got stage fright, it was our first time singing in front of an audience. Give him some credit, at least when he was embarrassed, he didn't run off the stage." I told him, pulling him away from Alex. _

"_T-t-thanks, Gwen.." Alex smiled weakly. I sighed and sat next to him and Remy. "You were good too, Remy." She grinned at me and lay her head on Alex's shoulder. "Yeah, I am pretty good at what I do." _

_~~~END~~~_

We all frowned at the memory, but Nate chuckled. "Oh, man. I wanted to rip you to shreds that day."

Alex glared at him, "Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes at the two and sighed. "You sure you can do it?" I asked Alex, giving him a concerned look.

"Of course, I can. Besides, if I embarrass myself, at least it'll be in front of my close friends and family."

"And.. Four of my new friends.." I muttered, quietly. "_What?_" Alex exclaimed.

"Relax, dude, it's just Trent, Geoff, Duncan, and DJ." "Geoff, as in, Geoff Collins? The guy at our school that shows off his chest, everyday?'

"Yeah."

"Oh God, he's an idiot!" Nate laughed. "A _friendly_ idiot. I mean, a friendly _person_." I said, slapping my forehead.

Alex just groaned and grabbed the lyric sheet that Nate held out.

-

"Wait, wait, did you just say that Alex, funny, funny, but super shy, Alex has to sing at the wedding?" Leshawna asked, shocked.

"He doesn't have to, but he wants to." I explained. "That's rather brave of him. What, does he plan on impressing Remy or something?" Said Courtney, her usual professional attitude being replaced by a rare, concerned one.

I shrugged, "Maybe." "That would be so sweet of him." Bridgette gushed, "I mean, I know what Remy loves about him, what with his spiky black hair, his brown eyes, and let's just admit it, he is pretty cute. But top that with a singing voice and, wow."

"Jeez, Bridge, when'd you start liking Alex?" Leshawna questioned. Bridgette's eyes widened. "Oh, I don't like him that way! He's taken, anyways and besides, I know Gwen hated it when Courtney liked Nate."

Courtney's face grew read. "I was going through a 'bad-boy's are so hot' phase!"

"And you still are in that phase. I think everybody in this room knows you like Duncan!" I replied, crossing my arms.

"I do _not _like him. I can't stand him! He's rude, obnoxious, perverted, immature, and don't even get me started on his hair! It looks like he grew a patch of grass onto his head." Courtney practically yelled.

"Yup, you dig 'em." Leshawna smirked. "I DO NOT! Bridgette?" Courtney asked, knowing she would back her up.

Bridgette looked down at the ground. "Well, you do talk about him a lot. Doesn't that mean something?"

Courtney scoffed and got up. "I'm leaving!" She screamed before stomping out of the room. I rolled my eyes. "Why can't she just admit it?"

Leshawna shrugged, "Beats me.. So, Bridge, what up with you and Geoff?" Bridgette blushed and looked sheepishly out the window.

"He took me to a party, yesterday. And, he kissed my cheek!" She giggled.

"That's great, girl! You know, DJ and I went to the park, earlier. He let me play with his pet bunny, afterwards when we went to his house." Leshawna smiled.

"What's his bunny's name?" I asked.

"Bunny."

"Bunny, the bunny? Original, DJ, real original." I chuckled.

"Well, Gwen, how are you and Trent?" Bridgette questioned. I shrugged. "We're okay, I guess. He sang to me a few days ago and he's gonna be my date to the wedding."

"Aww. Gwen's got a boyfriend, Gwen's got a boyfriend!"

"Shut up, Bridgette."

-

**Done with the chapter! Sheesh, it took a long time to write. XD I skipped today on it, actually. I needed it in order to make the next chapter longer. **

**DISCLAIMER; I DO NOT OWN THE TOTAL DRAMA SERIES OR ANY OF THE SONGS USED IN THIS CHAPTER. **


	5. Chapter 5

_Friday, February 12__th__, 2010_

_Tap, tap. Tap, tap._

I groaned and sat up in bed. "What the hell?" I asked, rubbing my eyes and throwing the sheets off of my body. The room was dark and from what I could tell, it was around one in the morning. I walked to window, careful not to trip over the many clothes I had scattered all over the floor.

Quietly, I pulled the curtains back, only to jump back upon seeing the window get hit by a pebble. I growled and crawled over the green hoodie, which I recognized to be Trent's, and back over to the window.

Peering out, I could see the silhouette's of four boys. "What in the hell is going on out there?" I whispered. I grabbed Trent's jacket, put in on over my black tank top, slipped on a pair of black flats, and tip-toed out the door.

The light in the hall wasn't on, making it even harder when I had to go downstairs. I slapped my forehead and rushed back into the room. I put my hands out in front of me, trying to find my phone in the dark. After a few minutes, I felt it's plastic material, and slipped it into my pocket.

Slipping out the door again, I pulled it out and pressed a random button. The screen lit up and I nearly screamed upon seeing I was standing in front of my brother's door, which had a poster of a rather scary clown on the front of it.

Panting, I moved around and found the staircase. Not wanting to waste time, I sat down and slid down the stairs. Once at the end, I got up, my butt now sore. I sighed and made my way to the front door. Peering through the peephole, I saw the four boys, this time closer, and recognized them as Geoff, Duncan, Trent, and DJ.

Unlocking the door and stepping outside, I zipped up the jacket I was wearing and whispered loudly, "What are you guys doing in front of my house in the middle of the night?!"

Geoff whirled around, startled. "Whoa, bra, don't do that." Trent rolled his eyes at him and walked over to me. "We're going to the store and then, we're gonna hit the park."

"You go places late at night?" I questioned, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow. "Yup. You ever tried it?" DJ asked, smiling at me.

"No.." I admitted, looking down. "That's exactly why we're here, sweetheart. That, and we need someone to keep us company. Geoff's non-stop party talk is really getting old and if he says, "It was totally, awesome" one more time, I'm gonna have to slap him." Duncan said.

Geoff glared at him, obviously. "Well.. Umm.. I don't know." I said, looking up at the house. It looked creepy, seeing my house late at night, the windows all black with the moon, stunning as can be, shining high above it.

"Ah, c'mon, Gwen. We'll drop you off after the usual two hours end." I was caught off guard at that, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, you guys stay out for _two _hours? Just at the park?"

They all laughed at that. "No, we stay at each place for one hour. Sometimes, we spend a half hour at one and spend the remainder of time at the other. Or we go somewhere else." Trent answered, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the car.

I didn't fight back, but I did talk more. "Well, why do you want me to go? What about your other buddies?"

"We don't have other buddies, babe. You think dudes like us have friends?" Duncan chuckled, getting into the car and sitting next to me.

"Well, I thought. I mean, you guys _are _pretty cool." I complimented, earning a few grins from the guys.

"Thanks, Gwen. But unfortunately, we don't have any other friends besides you, your girls, and this one dude that works at Walmart. But, hey, a group of nine friends is good enough, right?" DJ said, taking the seat on my left.

"I guess." I shrugged, putting on the seat belt. "Oh, gosh, this brings back memories from the day I first met you all." Geoff laughed.

"Same here, Gwenny, same here." Trent climbed into the car and sat up front with Geoff. "Let's go before your mom realizes you aren't in bed."

"Oh, trust me, she won't notice. She's too busy cuddling up to her soon-to-be husband, Daddy Number Five." I reassured him, leaning back.

Duncan shuddered, next to me. "Bad mental image." He said, shaking his head. I rolled my eyes and looked out the window as we passed by a house with the lights on.

"Who's up at this time?" I recognized the yellow house with the red door as Lexi Mason's house. "Gwen, not to be rude or anything, but can you stop mentioning how late it is?" DJ spoke.

"Sorry, I'm just shocked." I apologized, smiling at him. Trent looked back at us and said, "Here's one of the best parts." He reached over and turned the radio on. The boys immediately broke into song, banging their heads and throwing their hands up.

"_When you see my face, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell. When you walk my way hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell. Find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well. He's a fool, your just as well hope it gives you hell. I hope it gives you hell."_

Trent turned up the volume, as Geoff glanced at us in the rearview mirror. "C'mon, Gwen. Party up!" I blinked and frowned. Duncan nudged me. "Join in, babe."

I shrugged, slightly. I sang along with them, but stopped near the end because we had reached the store. "Ah, here we are. The local Walmart.." DJ chuckled, opening the door and hopping out. I followed afterwards, and shut the door. Duncan exited through the other door, and slammed it a bit louder than I had.

"Does everything have to be a competition to you?" Trent asked. "Nope, just the simple things." Duncan replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets and slouching.

The boys rolled their eyes at him and began walking into the store. "'Kay, let's split up. Geoff and DJ, you guys go and get the fun stuff, Duncan, the food, me and Gwen got the music." Trent said, pushing his bangs out of his face.

We nodded and split into our groups. "So, you guys always do this?" I questioned as we started walking towards the CD racks. "Only on the Fridays and Saturdays. It's fun, meeting up with your pals on nights like these." Trent answered, grabbing an All-American Rejects CD and flipping to the back to see the tracks.

He put it back and grabbed a John Mayer CD. This time, he kept it, throwing it into a random basket that was left on the floor and grabbing the basket. "How 'bout you find some of your own music? We vary our music, always have to get one or two CD's that's everybody's style."

"Umm, okay.." I walked over to a different rack and examined all the CD's. I grabbed a Smashing Pumpkins CD and skimmed through the track list. "Now we're talking." I mumbled, walking back to Trent and tossing the CD into the basket.

"Smashing Pumpkins.. Nice." Trent winked at me before going off to another rack. Minutes later, we met back up with the guys. Geoff grinned at the, "Party Hits", CD we had grabbed for him. We purchased everything and ran to the car, eager to get to the park.

The park wasn't that far from the store, and we made it there in a good 5 minutes. Trent jumped out of the car and made his way over to the trunk. He pulled out a boom box and grabbed the bag full of CD's. "Let's go! Guys, get the food and the other fun crap."

I leaned over Duncan and unlocked the door. He got out and held out a hand. "Want some help?" I gave him a surprised look. That was the first time he did something friendly towards me. "Err, thanks." I muttered, taking his hand and getting out.

Trent gave Duncan a weird look, and he immediately let go. As we started walking to one of the picnic tables, Duncan pulled me aside.

"Hey, Gwen, um, you may not have noticed this but.. Trent's got really strong feelings for you. I don't know when he plans on telling you, but I'm pretty sure he'll try to make move during the wedding. Just wanted to let you know." He said, smiling slightly.

I stared at him, speechless. "Trent.. Likes.. M-me?" I managed to say. Duncan nodded and looked over his shoulder, at Trent. He was watching us, but turned upon seeing Duncan look back.

"If you like him too," He began, turning back to face me, "you better tell him. Before it's too late."

"Wait, before it's too late? What do you mean?" I asked, confused. "Trent's going to Los Angeles to start a music career. That's the real reason he wanted you to come tonight."

"When's he leaving?" I asked, not believing my ears. "Next Friday, after school. He might be gone for awhile."

My mouth dropped, confused as to why Duncan would be telling me this. I would've expected DJ to be the one telling me all of this.

I shut my mouth and stormed over to Trent. Duncan followed, but stopped to chat with Geoff. "Uh, hey?" Trent greeted, ripping the plastic off of one of the new CD's. "Hey.. Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

Trent put the CD in and turned the boom box on before walking off with me, a few feet away from the others. So, you wanted to tell me something?"

"Yeah… Look, er, I've been having some strange feelings lately and.. I think I might actually.." I trailed off and pretended to be fascinated by the stars.

"Actually.. What?"

I took a deep breath and blurted out, "Really, really, like you." I sighed and shut my eyes, hoping he didn't understand what I had just said.

It was silent for a moment, but then I felt a warm hand on my left cheek. "Gwen, I like you, too." Trent's voice invaded my thoughts and slowly, I found myself leaning closer to him. Seconds later, I felt Trent's soft, warm lips, press against my own.

I opened my eyes, and kissed back. He pulled away and grinned at me. "Was this what Duncan was talking to you about?"

"That and.. You could possibly be leaving to go to L.A."

Trent's smile vanished and he looked down at his sneakers. "Yeah.. But I still have a week left here."

"A week, is that really all we have left to spend with each other?" I asked him, sadly.

"Yes, but I promise you, we'll make the best of it. Now let's get back to the others, I think we should thank Duncan." He said, wrapping an arm around my waste and dragging me back towards the guys.

_Saturday, February 13__th__, 2010_

I woke up, lying on the grass, Trent at my side. I groaned and sat up. "What happened last night?"

Geoff sat at the table, DJ at his side. "We all crashed at about four last night. Should've slept in the car, my back is killing me."

I rubbed my head and jumped up. "Oh God, I have to get home. Tomorrow's the wedding and I need to help my Mom with everything else we haven't covered. Not to mention, another session of band practice!" I yelled.

Trent and Duncan suddenly jerked awake, probably having heard my yell. "Whoa, sweetheart, what's going on?" Duncan asked.

"She has to be home or her mom's gonna slaughter her."

"Oh yeah, the big day's tomorrow." Trent yawned, getting up.

"Yeah, and we have a lot to do! Now, I gotta go." I told them, grabbing the boom box and rushing to the car. The group grabbed everything and followed.

"Jeez, sister, calm down." Duncan mumbled.


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh, yeah, it's time for the wedding. Momma Gwen and Erik are finally gonna be together forever, but the story isn't over yet. We still got about ten-fifteen chapters left of Your Guardian Angel. Oh, and (disclaimer) I don't own any of the songs used in the chapter, or any of the characters.. 'Cept for Erik.**

-

_OH EM GEE, WEDDING DAY! (Sunday, February 14th__, 2010)_

"Do you, Annabel Marie Carter, take this man, Erik Mason, to be your husband, according to God's holy decree; do you promise to be to him a loving and loyal wife, to cherish and keep him in sickness and health; and forsaking all others, to be faithful only to him as long as you both shall live?"

I sat up front, clad in a light violet dress with my hair un-dyed and curled, with my hand in Trent's. We were both smiling up at my Mom, waiting for her to say the two words that everyone knew.

She giggled slightly and whispered, "I do." Erik gave her a bright smile and closed his eyes, waiting for the priest to repeat the speech.

"And do you, Erik Mason, take this woman, Annabel Marie Carter, to be your wife, according to God's holy decree; do you promise to be to her a loving and loyal husband, to cherish and keep her in sickness and health; and forsaking all others, to be faithful only to her as long as you both shall live?"

"Of course, I do." Erik said, tilting his head and staring, mesmerized, at Mom. The priest grinned at the two and said, "Very well. You may now kiss the bride."

Erik leaned in, and Mom followed, pressing her lips against his. They pulled away afterwards, and turned to us, smiling brightly, the look of love in their eyes.

"Everybody, I'd like to sing a song for the bride and groom." I said into the microphone.

Alex, Nathan, Remy, and I stood on a stage that had been set up outside the church. Mom and Erik's friends and family clapped and gave us their full attention.

I glanced briefly at the band, seeing their nervous faces. "This song is dedicated to my Mother and my new Father. Welcome to the family, Erik. I hope that you'll be there for my Mom, supporting her through the rough spots, and loving her, whether your troubled or not. I know you have strong feelings for her and.. You've certainly proved it." I grinned at Erik, who returned it, and grabbed a seat next to Nate, who sat near my parent's spot.

"Ready?" Nate whispered, his voice shaking. I nodded and took a breath, like I always did. Before starting to sing, I scanned the crowd, seeing Danny's taunting face, Mom's grin, Courtney, Bridgette, and Leshawna's proud faces, and Trent's "You can do this!" expression.

"_When I see your smile tears run down my face. I can't replace. And now that I'm strong I have figured out how this world turns cold and it breaks through my soul and I know, I'll find deep inside me I can be the one. I will never let you fall, I'll stand up with you, forever. I'll be there with you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven. _

_It's okay, it's okay, it's okay. Seasons are changing and waves are crashing and stars are falling, all for us. Days grow longer and nights grow shorter. I can show you, I'll be the one. I will never let you fall, I'll stand up with you, forever. I'll be there for you through it all, even if saving you sends me to heaven. 'Cuz you're my, you're my, my, my true love, my whole heart, please don't throw that away._

'_Cuz I'm here for you. Please don't walk away and, please tell me you'll stay whoa, stay whoa. Use me as you will. Pull my stings just for a thrill and I know I'll be okay, though my skies are turning gray. I will never let you fall. I'll stand up with you, forever. I'll be there for you through it all. Even if saving you sends me to heaven." _

I sang the whole song, eyes locked on Trent. The crowd burst into applause and I dropped the mic, smiling, my eyes watery. Nate reached out and gave me a hug. I hugged him back, let go, and ran off the stage to Trent and the girls.

"Gwen, you were amazing!" Bridgette squealed, throwing her arms around me. Courtney and Leshawna tackled me too, causing me to fall onto the grass. "Ow.." I moaned, rubbing my head.

"Thanks for the support, guys." I smiled, turning to face Trent. "You did it!" He exclaimed, lifting mee into the air and twirling me around.

Suddenly, I felt a tap on the shoulder. I whirled around, meeting my Mother and Father's faces.

"Gwendolyn, I have never been more proud to say that you're my daughter." Mom whispered, wrapping her arms around me.

"I appreciate that you took the time to sing such a beautiful song, and give such a wonderful speech." Erik told me, giving me the first of many father-daughter hugs.

"Your welcome." I put a hand to my face to push my bangs out of my face, but instead felt something wet. Oh gosh no.. Was I crying? I was. So was Mom but, this was _me_ we're talking about. Tough girl, the tough girl that doesn't cry.

"Dang it, I'm crying because of you guys!" I yelled. Mom laughed and grabbed my hand.

"Oh, Gwen.. So beautiful, yet so emotionless."


End file.
